Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Boston.Com does it again - Apollo 11

As the fight for your page views continues (see upcoming post) and the Internet sees incredibly rapid innovation and change, some long-time websites are seeking out niches.

Sometimes those niches are outside of their former 'mission'. Other times, they fit. Sometimes they work.

Regardless, if they get a buzz (especially a continuing buzz), they get visitors.

For some time, Boston.com has been delivering extraordinary photographs. The buzz among bloggers and those participating in interative social networks has been nothing but positive.

Sometimes 'stills' can deliver a feeling as good as, if not better than video.

I spent a decent part of yesterday looking at websites and watching the recounts of Apollo 11 (as well as the miraculous return to earth of Apollo 13) on TV.

While I was just a (little) kid when Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon, the memories (and outright excitement) returned as I realized that this was, in fact, one of maybe 6 or 7 events in my life I would never forget.

It's important for all of us that call the Internet community home to realize that an incredible amount of the technology we all use today came from those early NASA missions and experiments.

Growing up on Long Island, I remember all too well the excitement and pride in the employees eyes of the company that Leroy Grumman founded in a garage in Baldwin, NY. (Grumman Aerospace, at one time Long Island's largest employer, later acquired by Northrup, was responsible for building the LEM and many other space projects as well as military jets).

But back up to Boston and their latest delivery to the Internet audience.